It may be dull, but Ottawa named top place to live

By Irene Kuan

TORONTO (Reuters Life!) - Often derided by even its own citizens for its dullness, Ottawa is arguably the least exciting seat of government among the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.

But a new survey has crowned Canada's capital -- the city that fun forgot, according to one wag -- as the country's best place to live.

Ottawa was one of 154 Canadian communities surveyed by MoneySense magazine on the basis of points awarded in 15 categories such as how many years of salary it takes to buy a home, number of doctors available, crime rate, unemployment rate, average income, number of new cars on the road, and weather.

Missing among the categories were culture, dining, or entertainment. What's the difference between yogurt and Ottawa, goes the old joke. Answer: yogurt has culture.

"The natural habitat of bureaucrats and politicians makes it not a very exciting place, so people are always shocked to hear it's No. 1," said Ian McGugan editor of MoneySense magazine, which conducted the report.

In the survey, Ottawa, population 850,000, scored 75 out of a possible 104 points, beating its nearest competitor, Victoria, British Columbia, by eight points.

It scored in the top third in all the categories. Household incomes were high, doctors plentiful, and new cars ruled the roads.

"One of the things that rank the best places to live that is often missed are the economic factors," McGugan said.